Walker fears medal strip as Man City's 114 charges 'don't look great', he admits

Kyle Walker has admitted Manchester City’s 114 Premier League financial charges ‘don’t look great’ and confessed he fears losing the medals he won during his eight seasons at the Etihad Stadium, including six top-flight titles.

The former City right-back, now at Burnley, made the comments in a radio interview, acknowledging the gravity of the independent panel’s guilty verdict while defending the players who were on the pitch during the period in question. City are currently appealing the findings.

“It’s the big elephant in the room we’re probably all going to be asked when doing interviews or whatever,” Walker said. “It doesn’t look great. Let’s not hide from the fact they’ve been found guilty but they’re going through an appeal. As a player all I can say is all we did is go out and play our best as a team and I’ll defend the players for the rest of my life, because I feel what we did and achieved in that time was incredible and probably won’t be done ever again. But from the outside looking in, it doesn’t look great and we have to address that.”

The charges against City include accusations that the club artificially inflated income through what the Premier League described as ‘sham’ sponsorship deals. City have consistently denied any wrongdoing. Potential sanctions range from a substantial fine and a points deduction — severe enough, according to reports, to relegate City to the Championship — to a transfer embargo and the stripping of titles won during the period covered by the charges.

One report has suggested a further points deduction could follow in a second season, compounding any relegation punishment, though the EFL would not be automatically obliged to enforce such a sanction.

The uncertainty over City’s honours also casts an awkward light on Walker’s own body art. The defender has ‘four in a row’ tattooed on his leg, commemorating the club’s four consecutive Premier League titles.

When presenter Andy Goldstein asked whether he had a tattoo removal firm on standby, Walker was characteristically direct: “Well I’m probably going to have to do that bit! I’ll try and keep it on, but hopefully we don’t get things taken away.”

Walker spent eight seasons at the Etihad between 2017 and 2025, winning 17 major trophies in total. Any punishment is unlikely to be handed down until City’s appeal has been fully resolved.